John Stuart Agnew (EFD). – Madam President, what a relief that they have stopped burning heretics or I would be well and truly alight by now. I am, though, glowing hot in my opposition to the concept of man-made climate change.

Carbon dioxide accounts for only 0.038% of our atmosphere and only 4% of that is influenced by man’s activity. It is a vital and irreplaceable food for plant life. The more plants receive, the faster they grow. A shortage of this gas will be far more serious than a surplus. The alarmist and incorrect statements that suggest any increase in carbon dioxide will create significant rises in sea levels is being used as an excuse by local authorities not to maintain low-cost wooden sea defences. When these inevitably rot, after 40 years’ service, nothing is done to repair them and homes are lost. This is creating an aura of despair among coastal communities. If computer predictions cannot forecast the weather properly in the short term, they have no place whatsoever in predicting long-term changes.